Bicycle to work possible?

stryped said:

x-no-archive:yes

I have about a 20 mile comute to work one way. Gas prices are killing
me especially since I drive a truck.

I like to bicycle although it has been years since I have done it. I am
in decent shape and I do run some. 9Not as much as I should) I am a
male and around 35.

Would it be feasible to travel this distance to and from work a few
days a week? Admittantly, the only bike i have is from Wal _Mart and is
a sort of trail bike but it works well.

The other thing I thought of there is a parking lot 5.4 miles form my
house I could leave my truck and ride the bike from there to work. From
there to work it is a two lane highway with a large berm on each side.

How long should I expect the trip to take?

Just wondered what you thought.

Have a bike shop make sure the bike is safe and servicable, put some
skinnier road-ish tires on it and try it...should take about 1.5 hours
I would say....wear a helmet....won't hurt-may help

You'll save $, get healthy, clean your spleen, feel better all around.
You'll like it so much, you'll but a genuine road bike, about $800 or
so, and do this more. Lots of us ride to work...I do 4 outta 5 days. .

In addition, you might want to try your commute on the weekend, when
there is no pressure to get to work on time and the traffic might be
less. See who it goes.

JT

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How does it "clean your spleen"?

By the way, would a bike motor help? I am mechanicaly inclined and love
tinkering> I even thought of building a bike once.

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

stryped said:

x-no-archive:yes

I have about a 20 mile comute to work one way. Gas prices are killing
me especially since I drive a truck.

I like to bicycle although it has been years since I have done it. I am
in decent shape and I do run some. 9Not as much as I should) I am a
male and around 35.

Would it be feasible to travel this distance to and from work a few
days a week? Admittantly, the only bike i have is from Wal _Mart and is
a sort of trail bike but it works well.

The other thing I thought of there is a parking lot 5.4 miles form my
house I could leave my truck and ride the bike from there to work. From
there to work it is a two lane highway with a large berm on each side.

How long should I expect the trip to take?

Just wondered what you thought.

Have a bike shop make sure the bike is safe and servicable, put some
skinnier road-ish tires on it and try it...should take about 1.5 hours
I would say....wear a helmet....won't hurt-may help

You'll save $, get healthy, clean your spleen, feel better all around.
You'll like it so much, you'll but a genuine road bike, about $800 or
so, and do this more. Lots of us ride to work...I do 4 outta 5 days. .

TROLL ALERT - Styped is hitting another group!

"stryped" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

x-no-archive:yes

I have about a 20 mile comute to work one way. Gas prices are killing
me especially since I drive a truck.

I like to bicycle although it has been years since I have done it. I am
in decent shape and I do run some. 9Not as much as I should) I am a
male and around 35.

Would it be feasible to travel this distance to and from work a few
days a week? Admittantly, the only bike i have is from Wal _Mart and is
a sort of trail bike but it works well.

The other thing I thought of there is a parking lot 5.4 miles form my
house I could leave my truck and ride the bike from there to work. From
there to work it is a two lane highway with a large berm on each side.

How long should I expect the trip to take?

Just wondered what you thought.

stryped said:

I have about a 20 mile comute to work one way. Gas prices are killing
me especially since I drive a truck.

Where do you live?

What is the climate there?

It's absolutely possible! I ride to work (weather permitting) several
days a week. I have a 12. mile route that I take on the way to work
and a 14.5 route for the ride home. The only problem I encounter is
that we don't have a shower at work and I get sweaty, but nothing a
towel and baby powder can't cover up!

As far as how long it should take depends on several things but I'd say
comfortably think about 1.5 hours which may sometimes be a welcome way
to wind down from work.

Two thoughts, both dependent on what your town provides.

First, many medium-sized cities have a mass transit system, with bike
racks on buses and places to store your bike on a train. You might ride
the bus/train close to work and then bike a short distance to work. You
could even do this in your work clothes. In the evening, you change
into bike clothes at work and bike home. Repeat as necessary. (Also
make a mental note to dress twice, packing your bike clothes but
remembering your work things like an ID badge and desk key. By the way,
good to remember your home keys, too, if you just pull your door shut.
Listen to the dope-slap voice of experience.)

Second, some cities have a bicycle communter mentoring program. This is
because driving in downtown traffic can get some getting-used-to, and
it is helpful to have someone ride with you until you feel comfortable.
In Charlotte, NC, www.bikementor.org provides this. If your city does
not provide this service, perhaps you could prevail upon your city's or
state's department of transportation. Or ask your favorite bike store
if you can post a note, looking for a biking partner.

Bike engines are great and cheap too. That's what I'm using on my 28
mile daily commute. I peddle part of the way and motor the rest. You can
get a Chinese bike engine kit for under $200 delivered, or you can get a
4 stroke engine kit for around $550.

Q

stryped said:

x-no-archive:yes

How does it "clean your spleen"?

By the way, would a bike motor help? I am mechanicaly inclined and love
tinkering> I even thought of building a bike once.

stryped said:

x-no-archive:yes

Quoted message said:

I have about a 20 mile comute to work one way. Gas prices are killing
me especially since I drive a truck.

I find that the optimal bicycle commute is 2-6 _flat_ miles. Anything
shorter does increase your health. anything longer and you get burned
out and quit.

I currently have an 8 mile trek with extremely steep san diego hills ~
equivalent to about a 10 mile ride, and 40-45 mins is the best I have
ever done. My recovery time from this ride (about 30 minutes to cool
down and stop sweating), and the penalty for not being able to fix a
flat tire ( I paid this penalty once ) makes this ride undesirable -
not impossible, but undesirable.

My suggestion is to try to move at least 10 miles closer to work. Do
it now before everyone else gets the same idea. In the long we'll all
need to live closer to work.

A short term solution is to probably use a moped, if they are still
available.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

stryped said:

x-no-archive:yes

Quoted message said:

I have about a 20 mile comute to work one way. Gas prices are killing
me especially since I drive a truck.

I find that the optimal bicycle commute is 2-6 _flat_ miles, on a road
bike which maximizes speed. Anything shorter doesn't increase your
health. anything longer and you get burned out and quit.

I currently have an 8 mile trek with extremely steep san diego hills ~
equivalent to about a 10 mile ride, and 40-45 mins is the best I have
ever done. My recovery time from this ride (about 30 minutes to cool
down and stop sweating), and the penalty for not being able to fix a
flat tire ( I paid this penalty once ) makes this ride undesirable -
not impossible, but undesirable.

I might go a little farther with a wind faring. Does zipper or
whomever still make a faring ??

My suggestion is to try to move at least 10 miles closer to work. Do
it now before everyone else gets the same idea. In the long we'll all
need to live closer to work.

A short term solution is to probably use a small motorcycle or moped
if they are still available.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

(Donald Gillies) said:

I find that the optimal bicycle commute is 2-6 _flat_ miles, on a road
bike which maximizes speed. Anything shorter doesn't increase your
health. anything longer and you get burned out and quit.

Good advice

Agree with that

Longer miles are doable tho

Donald Gillies said:

stryped said:

x-no-archive:yes

Quoted message said:

I have about a 20 mile comute to work one way. Gas prices are killing
me especially since I drive a truck.

I find that the optimal bicycle commute is 2-6 _flat_ miles. Anything
shorter does increase your health. anything longer and you get burned
out and quit.

I have a 12 mile commute that is downhill all the way to work, steeply
for the first 2 miles and gradual for the rest. This is the perfect
commute for me since it's fast to work, and I can take my time on the
way home.

Greg

--
"All my time I spent in heaven
Revelries of dance and wine
Waking to the sound of laughter
Up I'd rise and kiss the sky" - The Mekons

x-no-archive:

southern kentucky. Warm for the most part.

Quoted message said:

stryped said:

I have about a 20 mile comute to work one way. Gas prices are killing
me especially since I drive a truck.

Where do you live?

What is the climate there?

x-no-archive:yes

Where can I get one? Does it make it harder to pedal? I have a 3
horsepower briggs and stratton at home I thought would be fun to hook
up that way but I woul dthink it would be too heavy.

x-no-archive:yes

I live in the country and there are no mass transit systems of any kind.

G.T. said:

I have a 12 mile commute that is downhill all the way to work, steeply
for the first 2 miles and gradual for the rest. This is the perfect
commute for me since it's fast to work, and I can take my time on the
way home.

Wow!

That's a great idea as well

Seriously.... that is a great route as like you I'm
always short on time in the AM.... but have loads more
time after work

Quoted message said:

G.T. said:

I have a 12 mile commute that is downhill all the way to work, steeply
for the first 2 miles and gradual for the rest. This is the perfect
commute for me since it's fast to work, and I can take my time on the
way home.

Wow!

That's a great idea as well

Seriously.... that is a great route as like you I'm
always short on time in the AM.... but have loads more
time after work

Mine is only five miles, but it is the same deal -- down hill in, up
hill home. I can mix up the route, too, and do a quick 1000 foot climb
on my way home, or just do three hundred feet if I want to be a slacker
(over the hills or mostly around them). I do wish that there was a
dead flat route, though -- especially coming home from work on Monday.
-- Jay Beattie.

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I have about a 20 mile comute to work one way. Gas prices are killing
me especially since I drive a truck.
I like to bicycle although it has been years since I have done it. I am
in decent shape and I do run some. 9Not as much as I should) I am a
male and around 35.
Would it be feasible to travel this distance to and from work a few
days a week? Admittantly, the only bike i have is from Wal _Mart and is
a sort of trail bike but it works well.
The other thing I thought of there is a parking lot 5.4 miles form my
house I could leave my truck and ride the bike from there to work. From
there to work it is a two lane highway with a large berm on each side.
How long should I expect the trip to take?
Just wondered what you thought.

Sure you can do it. Just make sure you allot your self enough time. You
should do a test run on a weekend when you have time. Then you can see how
long it will take. My guess is you will be right around 1.75 hours. If you do
decide to do this, do yourself a favor and get rid of the tires that are on the
bike now and get some high pressure slicks.
----------------
Alex

stryped said:

x-no-archive:yes

I have about a 20 mile comute to work one way. Gas prices are killing
me especially since I drive a truck.

I like to bicycle although it has been years since I have done it. I am
in decent shape and I do run some. 9Not as much as I should) I am a
male and around 35.

Would it be feasible to travel this distance to and from work a few
days a week? Admittantly, the only bike i have is from Wal _Mart and is
a sort of trail bike but it works well.

The other thing I thought of there is a parking lot 5.4 miles form my
house I could leave my truck and ride the bike from there to work. From
there to work it is a two lane highway with a large berm on each side.

How long should I expect the trip to take?

Just wondered what you thought.

My commute is 22 miles and while doable you need to be keen. I start at
7am currently and leave at 0520 in the morning, rising at 5 for a quick
brekky. I put my bike clothing and gear for the next day out ready the
night before so it's all set to go. My hometown is 200m (600 feet or so)
above the location of my work so that helps with speed. It normally
takes 70-75 minutes now that I'm in shape. After that I have a 20-25
minute shower (wash out my bike clothing in the shower) and am ready for
work dead on seven. There is a good place with strong ventilation to
hang my wet gear up so it's dry by the afternoon. I had to spend a fair
bit on a good lighting system, and ended up going the dynamo way with an
LED headlight. I also bought a decent cycling rain coat (we get 2.0
metres a year in my town) and a set of cycling long tights for winter. I
also use cycling pants with the chamois etc for comfort.

So to summarise, some of the things you may need include:

A place to shower at work
A place to dry clothes at work
Good rain gear
Cycling clothes maybe
Lighting system if you have to start early
Some way to carry your gear on the bike i.e. carrier and bags etc